: any of a class (Bivalvia synonym Pelecypoda) of typically marine mollusks (such as clams, oysters, or scallops) that have a 2-valved hinged shell, are usually filter feeders, and lack a distinct head
Examples of bivalve in a Sentence
Noun
clams, mussels, oysters, and other bivalves
Recent Examples on the Web
BostonGlobe.com, 10 Oct. 2019
Deep-sea wood borers (Xylophaga, a genus of bivalve mollusks) take over where shallow water gribbles and shipworms left off.
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Brian Payton, Smithsonian, 9 Feb. 2018
Alexandra Hall, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 May 2023
So there wasn’t much in the way of worms and crustaceans and bivalves and things in there to further digest it.
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Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 25 Jan. 2023
See all Example Sentences for bivalve ![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-06-24--16-08-26-f2gnl/images/svg/redesign/arrow-right-exemplar.svg)
Adjective
The town’s big, bivalve-themed bash, Wellfleet Oyster Fest, happens annually on the weekend after Columbus Day (Oct. 19 and 20 this year) along Main Street.
—Noun
Said bivalves show up in dishes like Mere Points from Brunswick with fish sauce granita and blood orange, alongside sashimis of dry-aged steelhead trout and silken bluefin tuna.
—These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bivalve.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near bivalve
Cite this Entry
“Bivalve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bivalve. Accessed 28 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
bivalve
1 of 2 adjective
bi·valve
ˈbī-ˌvalv
: having or being a shell composed of two movable valves
a bivalve mollusk
bivalve
2 of 2 noun
: any of a class of typically marine mollusks (as clams, oysters, and scallops) that have a shell made up of two parts joined by a hinge, are usually filter feeders, and lack a distinct head
Medical Definition
bivalve
2 of 2 transitive verb
bivalved; bivalving
: to split (a cast) along one or two sides (as to relieve pressure)
More from Merriam-Webster on bivalve
Nglish: Translation of bivalve for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bivalve
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